An e-commerce business is an incredibly popular choice for many people who are looking for a side hustle or a way to start a business. What we all need to consider in the modern landscape is that actually being ethical and sustainable is not just a buzzword, but should be an integral component of our business dealings, especially in e-commerce. Customers now want to see that you are doing everything you can to actually showcase a social and environmental mindset. But you also need to thrive in this market, which means that you need to prioritize ethics and sustainability. So how can e-commerce businesses or online store owners utilize this successfully?
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The Right Collaborations and Partnerships
It is so important to remember that it’s not just about you but about who you affiliate yourself with. We need to form partnerships that support ethical and sustainable causes, and this means we’ve got to conduct enough due diligence and research before we even get started.
We can certainly make sure we are ready by participating in industry initiatives or acquiring certifications relating to ethics or sustainability, but we also need to find the right partnerships, and this goes all the way down to the merchant accounts we liaise with. For example, many firearms businesses are high risk and are not considered worth the investment in terms of merchant accounts, so you need to be acutely aware of both sides of the equation not just who you are and what you’re selling, but who they are too.
Focusing on Ethical Marketing Practices
There’s a lot going on in the news at the moment about how unethical certain businesses are, especially in terms of greenwashing. It is something we should avoid at all costs. Because your business is small fry, this is the perfect opportunity to create a foundation for your business that encompasses sustainability and ethical practices before it costs a skillet.
There are simple ways for you to conduct ethical marketing practices. For example, one very simple thing is being honest. Avoiding any false or exaggerated claims is more than critical in this day and age because we can all be prone to a little bit of exaggeration for the sake of selling a product. But we’ve got to stick to the facts and be creative in how we sell our products.
Other ways include educating customers about the importance of ethical and sustainable shopping choices and how your online store is working to be a major part of this. Additionally, we should do what we can to engage in social responsibility initiatives and communicate these efforts to consumers. Marketing is ultimately about communicating who we are and what we are all about, and therefore educating our customers without forcing them to our way of thinking is a very fine art.
Eco-Friendly Shipping Initiatives
If there is one major thing we need to address in our e-commerce business to rectify any ethical or environmental concerns, it’s how we ship our items. We should look into offsetting emissions, especially if we are sending products around the world. It can be a major stepping stone, but if we were to create some form of initiative, for example, planting a tree based on each item we ship would go some way to reduce the overall carbon footprint.
We can also use sustainable materials for shipping, but also think about consolidating packages to reduce the overall emissions released by trucks or freights if you are shipping overseas. It’s also essential to look at sustainable packaging solutions. Reusable or recyclable packaging options that encourage customers to reduce their waste while also opting for minimalist design with unnecessary materials can be part of your overall branding.
Ethical Sourcing
Ultimately, the foundation of a sustainable and ethical e-commerce business starts with ethical sourcing and supply chain management. Smaller businesses may find it tougher to source the right company that aligns with their values, but they are out there.
You need to seek products with certifications that you can sell but also maintain a sense of transparency in your supply chain for the sake of your customers by disclosing supplier information and the production processes. We need to partner with suppliers who adhere to fair labor practices and provide secure working conditions.
Of the many green business ideas out there, an e-commerce company is a great balancing act; while we are not using as much energy as a typical brick-and-mortar store, we also need to remember that shipping products around the world come with a number of sustainability concerns. Running an e-commerce business, both ethically and sustainably, may seem like a challenge, but you can achieve it, as long as you go about it in the right ways.
